FNLG 231 - Math Lesson Four: Counting by Tens and Counting Money

Numeral classifiers (Overview)

A number can be placed before a noun to make a noun phrase.


'apun lutem'ten tables'
yuse'lu shelh'two doors'
lhihw spe'uth'three bears'

Some objects are counted by just using the simple number, as above. But other objects are counted using special classifier suffixes.


lhihwus'three round objects, dollars'
lhihwuqun'three containers'
lhhwelu'three people'
lhuhwmat'three groups, pieces'

There are over twenty lexical suffixes that are used as numeral classifiers.

Money

Use the lexical suffix for round things –as (–us).


kw'inus'how many dollars?'
nuts'us'one dollar'
yusa'lus'two dollars'
lhihwus'three dollars'
xuthinus'four dollars'
lhq'atssus'five dollars'
t'xumus'six dollars'
tth'a'kwsus'seven dollars'
ta'tssus'eight dollars'
toohwus'nine dollars'
'upanus'ten dollars'
tskw'shas'twenty dollars'

Higher Numbers

To form the numbers 30–90, use the suffix –ulhshe'.


CountingCounting money
lhuhwulhshe''thirty'lhuhwulhsha'us'$30'
xuthunlhshe''forty'xuthunlhsha'us'$40'
lhq'utssulhshe''fifty' lhq'utssulhsha'us'$50'
t'xumulhshe''sixty't'xumulhsha'us'$60'
tth'ukwsulhshe''seventy'tth'ukwsulhsha'us'$70'
te'tssulhshe', tutssulhshe''eighty'te'tssulhsha'us'$80'
toohwulhshe''ninety'toohwulhsha'us'$90'
nets'uwuts'one hundred'nets'uwuts, nets'uwuts (telu)'$100'